BRITISH SPEEDWAY WEEKLY ROUND-UP
10 August 2004 - British Speedway Promoters Association

GREAT Britain World Cup star Mark Loram now wants his Arena Essex team to ride out of their tough spell and clinch a place in the play-offs.

ELITE LEAGUE LATEST

Loram said: ''We are a bit low at the moment, we''ve had a couple of injuries and that''s not helped. ''The team have had more than a week off and that should help us to regroup a bit. We''ve had a few chinks in our armour but generally we''ve acquitted ourselves well.'' BELLE VUE have tempted American star Ronnie Correy out of retirement as a replacement for Finnish rider Kaj Laukkanen. Correy quit the sport after badly breaking his wrist in a crash at Coventry in 2000, but is now set to return to the Kirkmanshulme Lane club for his second spell with the Aces having spent the majority of his career with Wolverhampton. COVENTRY joint boss Colin Pratt has hinted that there could be another team change at Brandon shortly as the Bees plan ahead for the future. Pratt said: ''We are hoping to be able to make another team announcement in the near future, so there should be some interesting times ahead. ''It has been good to see that a hardcore of support has stuck with us this season in what has been a tough year.'' EASTBOURNE co-promoter Jon Cook believes that the Eagles are vying with Ipswich for third spot in the Elite League. Cook said: ''Poole and Wolves look certain to finish in the top two. And both us and Ipswich can ensure a qualifying place without having to join the dog-fight to see who will finish fifth. ''My game plan is to finish ahead of Ipswich and gain that vital third-place spot. This week''s matches in football terms will be six-pointers.'' IPSWICH manager Mike Smillie feels a top three finish in the League stage is vital to the Witches'' hopes in the end of season play-offs. Smillie said: ''The main thing is to finish in the top three as the clubs that finish fourth and fifth must ride away in the quarter-finals. ''And if we were to win our first play-off match I would be confident that we could get a result at Wolves, who would be our likely semi-final opponents.'' OXFORD boss Nigel Wagstaff is set to hold talks with injured Pole Sebastian Ulamek to establish whether he can take any further part in the season. He said: ''I know how desperate Seb is to get back riding, that has never been in question, but he has to return fully fit or not at all in my book.'' PETERBOROUGH boss Trevor Swales says his riders are racing for their 2005 future with the club with the Panthers second from bottom in the Elite League. Swales said: ''We are already looking ahead to next season and examining a number of possibilities regarding the riding line-up. ''This season hasn''t been the success we hoped and the riders have got to prove to me they can do better next year to have any hope of staying here.'' POOLE are still favourites to finish top of the Elite League table and book an automatic place in the play-off Final as they bid to retain the Championship. Three of the Pirates'' remaining fixtures are at home, and they held an 11-point advantage at the top of the table when the Elite League resumed following the World Cup. SWINDON promoter Alun Rossiter wants to see the Robins continue to produce all-round team efforts in their quest to make the Elite League''s top five. Rossiter said: ''Our last home meeting saw us beat Peterborough and the win was achieved with useful contributions from all seven riders. ''That is the kind of performance I am looking for against Belle Vue this week and indeed, from here on in to ensure a place in the Play-Offs.'' WOLVERHAMPTON boss Chris Van Straaten admitted he looked at ways in which he could fit Ronnie Correy back in his team. He said: ''We put no pressure on Ronnie to make a comeback. It''s all come from him and the grading system prevented us from using him.''

PREMIER LEAGUE LATEST

BERWICK boss Peter Waite knows that away results will be crucial as the Bandits bid to establish themselves in the Premier League''s top five. Waite said: ''We need all the points and bonuses we can get and over the next two weeks we have for away League meetings to ride, and we must make a serious go of them all.'' EDINBURGH star Rory Schlein knows the importance of this weekend''s derby clashes with Glasgow to the Monarchs'' hopes of a top eight finish. Schlein said: ''The Glasgow match is going to be so hard. We need to win a couple of meetings away from home to boost our play-off chances, but without a full squad it is difficult.'' EXETER No.1 Mark Lemon says the Falcons'' recent Premier Trophy triumph was a big moment in his speedway career. Lemon said: ''Every trophy is important in a speedway rider''s career. To be able to say you were part of a team which won something like this is very special.'' GLASGOW have confirmed that James Cockle has agreed to stay in the team for the rest of the season after impressing in some early appearances. Co-promoter Stewart Dickson said: ''James maybe did not score the points that he merited over the weekend but he showed plenty of guts and determination and that is something we wish to bring to the team in abudance.'' HULL boss Eric Boocock praised veteran skipper Paul Thorp who earnt the Vikings a bonus point with a run-off win over Andre Compton at Sheffield. Boocock said: ''It was a lovely ride from Paul, he''s so wily in those situations. I''m so pleased he''s managed to turn his season around and roll back the years, it really was vintage Thorpy.'' ISLE OF WIGHT chairman Martin Newnham was in dreamland after the Islanders pulled back a massive 30-point deficit to take the bonus point against Edinburgh with a last heat 5-1. Newnham said: ''It was absolutely stunning and I still can''t really believe it!'' KING''S LYNN boss Buster Chapman thinks the strong home form currently being displayed by the Stars should see them clinch a place in the play-offs. Chapman said: ''These bonus points are so important if we going to make it into the top eight and into the play-offs at the end of the season. I''ve got every confidence in the team.'' NEWCASTLE boss George English felt the Diamonds had cost themselves the points in their home defeat by Rye House on Sunday. English said: ''We had it won and still lost it. We were a better side, especially with Kevin Little back in, but we still are not what it takes and we do know that.'' NEWPORT suffered a rare abandonment at the Hayley Stadium on Sunday afternoon with the Wasps and Reading only managing five heats. Promoter Tim Stone said: ''We waited to try and get it on. But I don''t just want to get six races on at a meeting, I want to get the whole programme on. ''If the rain had stopped, then we would have had the track lads out working with sawdust and we''d have got the meeting ahead.'' READING have been relieved to receive the news that Phil Morris has not sustained a broken bone in his foot in his crash at Newport. Morris'' bike landed heavily on his foot when he fell but the injury has been confirmed as being just bruising and he should return to action next week. RYE HOUSE boss John Sampford feels the Rockets have the ability to maintain their position in the top six of the Premier League, especially when they are at full strength. Sampford said: ''We want to consolidate our position in the top six, and hopefully the return of Steve Masters will help us achieve this.'' SHEFFIELD skipper Andre Compton admits his side are fighting for a place in the Premier League play-offs. He said: ''It''s a big wake-up call for everyone that for the first time in six years Sheffield are worrying about getting into the play-offs. It''s never even been a concern before, but this year it is.'' SOMERSET are sweating on the fitness of popular heat-leader Paul Fry who crashed out of the meeting at Glasgow. Boss Mick Bell said: ''I told Paul to get to hospital because of the pains in his stomach.'' WORKINGTON skipper Carl Stonehewer is backing his side to go all the way in the Knockout Cup as they face Isle of Wight in the semi-finals. He said: ''I think the Knockout Cup represents our best chance to win a seven-man trophy for the club - which has been a long time in coming for the fans but I think we have got to be in the shake-up this time round.''

FIXTURE PICTURE

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 11:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Peterborough v Wolverhampton 7.30, Belle Vue v Oxford 7.45, Arena Essex v Eastbourne 7.45, Poole v Ipswich 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Hull v Isle of Wight 7.30, King''s Lynn v Workington 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Stoke v Newport 7.30

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Wimbledon v Sheffield 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 12:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Coventry v Oxford 7.45, Swindon v Belle Vue 7.30, Ipswich v Eastbourne 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Newport 7.45, Glasgow v Berwick 7pm

CHALLENGE: Isle of Wight v Poole 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 13:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Oxford v Arena Essex 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Edinburgh v Glasgow 7.30, Somerset v Newcastle 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Weymouth v Mildenhall 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 14:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Arena Essex 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Berwick v Hull 7pm, Rye House v Newcastle 6pm, Stoke v Reading 7.30, Workington v King''s Lynn 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Armadale v Carmarthen 2pm, Rye House v Newcastle (follows PL meeting)

SUNDAY AUGUST 15:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Edinburgh 6pm, Newcastle v Sheffield 5.30, Newport v Berwick 4pm

UNDER-21 CHALLENGE: Mildenhall v Great Britain U-21 4pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Buxton v Weymouth 3pm

MONDAY AUGUST 16:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Belle Vue v Swindon 7.45, Wolverhampton v Arena Essex 7.30, Oxford v Coventry 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Exeter v Newport 7.30, Reading v Berwick 7.30

TUESDAY AUGUST 17:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Isle of Wight v Newport 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Weymouth v Oxford 7.30

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 18:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Arena Essex v Oxford 7.45, Belle Vue v Ipswich 7.45

PREMIER LEAGUE: King''s Lynn v Sheffield 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE KNOCKOUT CUP: Hull v Reading 7.30

THURSDAY AUGUST 19:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Swindon v Wolverhampton 7.30, Coventry v Eastbourne 7.45, Ipswich v Belle Vue 7.30

PREMIER LEAGUE: Sheffield v Rye House 7.45, Isle of Wight v Exeter 7.30

FRIDAY AUGUST 20:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Rye House v King''s Lynn 7pm, Edinburgh v Berwick 7.30, Somerset v Reading 7.30

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Oxford v Weymouth 7.15, Oxford v Newport (follows Weymouth meeting), Boston v Buxton (at King''s Lynn) 7.30

SATURDAY AUGUST 21:

SKYBET ELITE LEAGUE: Eastbourne v Swindon 4pm

PREMIER LEAGUE FOURS: Workington 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Rye House v Swindon 7pm

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Buxton v Mildenhall 3pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 22:

PREMIER LEAGUE: Glasgow v Rye House 6pm, Newcastle v Workington 5.30, Newport v Somerset 2.30, Stoke v Hull 7pm

CONFERENCE LEAGUE: Newcastle v Buxton (follows PL meeting), Carmarthen v Wimbledon 3.15

CONFERENCE TROPHY: Mildenhall v Weymouth 4pm

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